Paintings by Camille Pissarro

Edge of the Woods by Camille Pissarro (oil oncanvas, 49-5/8xCleveland Museum of Art.

Camille Pissarro painted Edge of the Woods in 1879. Pissarro submitted two versions of Edge of the Woods, which is also known as Undergrowth in Summer, to the fourth Impressionist exhibition. Pissarro lightly dabbed paint on the surface to render the dense growth of foliage. The whitewashed walls and red-tile roof of a cottage can be seen in the distance through the tree trunks, just as patches of blue sky can be glimpsed through the branches, simulating the visual experience of a walk in the woods.

Camille Pissarro wasn't only interested in Impressionist landscapes, however. On the next pages we'll see how he captures the essence of those who work the land.